Daily Republican., 1887-12-07

labor, and therefore shorId foreuo an
advantage, In the interest OF iov Srioe,
ler the majority; their oompensatioo
ss u may DO affected by the Operation oj
.at'u LAWS, should NJ all times be scru.
puiousiy kept In view; and vet with
sngnt rem sc.ion they viii, mot Overlook
tne TACT that they are consum era with
.ne resi-; that they, too, have their own
wants and those Of their families 10
supply from their earnings, and thai
the price OF the ntcessAriee Of life. AZ
well as the amount Of their wages. viii
regulate the measure of their welfare
and comfort.
But the reduction Of taxation de.
manded should be 30 measured AZ M,
to necessitate or justify either the loss
OF en- mploy ment by the workingmen nor
the lessening OF his wages: and the
brohts still remaining to the manufac.
tarer, aiter necessary readjustment,
snouIu furnish no excuse for the sacri.
hoe OF the interests OF his employees,
either In their opportunity TO work or
Ia the olniDution OF their compensa'
tion. Nor can the worker In manufac.
tures fail 10 understand that while q
high tariff 10 claimed to be necessary 10
allow the payment Of rem nerative
wages, 1t certainly results in o very
large increase ir the price of nearly ali
sorts OF manufactures which, In almost
ooantless forms, he needs for the use OF
himself and his family.
The considerations which have been
presented touching our tariff laws are
intended only to enforce an earnest REQ.
cmmendation that the surplus reven ues
OF the government be prevented BY the
reduction OF our customs duties, and ct
the same time TO emphasiss q sugKee-
tiop that In accom- plishing this purpose
We may discharge double duty TO our
people BY granting to them . measure
Of relief from tariff taxation In quarters
where 1t 10 most needed, and from
sources where 1t can be most fairly
and justly accorded,
The farmer and the agriculturist who
man anufscture nothing, but who pay the
increased price which the tarif imposes .
upon every agricultural implement,
upon ell he wears and upon all he uses
and owns, except the increase of his
fiocks and herds and such things as his
husbandry produces from the soil, is in
vited to aid in maintaining the present
situation; and he is told that o high
duty on imported wool is necessary for
the benefit OF those who have sheep to
shear, In order that the pfioe Of their
wool may be Increased. They OF course
nre not reminded that the farmer who
has no sheep IL by this scheme obliged
10 his purchases Of clothing and woollen
goods to pay o tribute to his fello "
farmer as we'll as to the manufacturer
and merchant; nor Is any mention
made Of the fact that the sheep owners
Themselves and their households must
wear clothing and uss other artic les
manufactured from the wool they sell
at tariff prlces, and thus as consumers
must return their share Of this Increased
price TO the tradesnan.
Our progress towards o wise conolu
sion will not be improved by dwelling
upon the theories OF protection and free
trade. This SAvors tco much of handy
ing ep!thets. 1t IL condition which
confronts ug-no. g theory. Relief from
this condition may involve slight 70.
duction of the advantages which we
award our bone PRODUCTIONS, but the
entire withdrawal of such advantages
should not be Contemplated. The ques-
tion Of FREQ trade 10 absolutely irrele'
yant, and the persistent claim made in
certain quarters that all efforts to re
lieve the people from unjust and un'
pecsssary taxation are schemes OF so.
called iree.traders Ii mischievous and
far removed from any consideration fol
the public good.
The simple and plain duty which we
owe the people Is to reduce taxation "a
the necessary expenses of an economical
operation Of the government, and to re-
store to ,hs business of the country the
money which we hold in the Treasury
through the perversiou Of governments
powers. GRovER CLEVELAND.